


Wish Upon A Star

by ArdeaPurpurea



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Angst, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I REGRET NOTHING, I'm Sorry, M/M, Slice of Life, lots of feelings, really bad writing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-17
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-14 14:08:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5747332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArdeaPurpurea/pseuds/ArdeaPurpurea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone knows that when you see a shooting star you have to make a wish and it will be granted. Calum does, every single time. He wishes for health, for happiness, for love… And call it fate or call it luck, but sometimes his wishes really do come true. However, other times… well, other times simply don’t.</p>
<p>Or, every time Calum makes a wish on a shooting star, every wish he makes and how his life changes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wish Upon A Star

**7 years**

The first time it happens, Calum is out of town. His parents want to do something special that weekend and decide to go camping with him and his older sister. Calum doesn’t know exactly where he is, since the place seems to be in the middle of nowhere, but he knows he likes it. The air is fresh and clean and the only sound he can hear is the silent echo of the waves colliding on the rocks at the foot of the cliff, so relaxing. But what Calum likes the most is, no doubt, the night sky.  

He has never seen anything like that, it is different from the sky in the city, much better. He is lying on the grass, near his parents’ tent, looking into a jet black abyss only illuminated by millions of shimmering stars on that moonless night. Breathtakingly beautiful. Some stars are big, others small, some are dull, others flickering, but all of them equally beautiful to Calum. Suddenly, a streak of light crosses the night sky startling the young boy who, scared, stands up and runs towards the fire light of his family’s campfire.  

“Mom!”, Calum cries.

“Honey, did you see that too?”

Calum is surprised by his mother’s relaxed and even excited tone. He doesn’t say anything, waiting for the dark haired woman to give him an explanation.

“That light crossing the sky was a shooting star… beautiful, right?”, the tanned woman smiles warmly and Calum’s fears disappear completely.

“A shooting star? Is that good?”

“Well, it’s not good or bad. It just happens sometimes. But, hey, shooting stars are hard to see, so now you have a great story to tell when we get back home!”, her mother says excitedly, still smiling, before returning to what she was doing and leaving the young boy alone with his thoughts.  

“A shooting star…”, Calum mumbles to himself.

Definitely, he is going to tell everyone about it.

**14 years**

This time, Calum is staying a few days with Michael and his parents in their hometown. The town is 30 minutes from the city, where they both live, and the house is small but cozy. Michael is Calum’s best friend, they both met at school and have been inseparable since then.

The second night there, Michael takes Calum out for a walk. The town is really small and surrounded by field crops. Michael leads Calum through the fields and they end up sitting on the grass somewhere near the river.  The night is dark and the moon full and bright.

“This is my favorite place in here, cool right?”, Michael says smugly, looking at the sky.

“It’s really nice”, Calum confirms, smiling at the other boy and then following his gaze.

It really is. It’s been a while since Calum has seen the night sky like this, pure and raw without a trace of light pollution in the sky, and he loves it.

“Oh, look at that!”, Michael shouts, excitedly.

Calum almost misses it, a shooting star.

“Wow, tha-“

“Hurry up, make a wish!”, Michael interrupts, shutting his eyes and frowning in an exaggerated manner, a look of pure concentration on his face.

Calum laughs, ”What are you doing?”

“When you see a shooting star you have to make a wish and it will come true”, his friend states seriously, eyes still firmly shut.

“Oh, I didn’t know that”

“Come on, everyone knows that shooting stars make wishes come true!”, the other boy’s green eyes are open now and he is looking at Calum incredulously.

“Oh, in that case I want a hot girlfriend!”

“Stupid! You can’t say it out loud or else it won’t be granted!”

“Oh, okay then…”, Calum shuts his eyes mirroring his friend’s previous gesture.

“No, you can’t make two wishes, that’s cheating!”

“What? But you sai-“

“Sorry, Cal. You will have to wait for the next time”, Michael says nonchalantly and Calum pouts, “but just so you know, you’re never getting a girlfriend after this”, he teases and they both laugh.

Neither of them know that, in fact, the young boy is right.

 

**18 years**

“I’m going to miss you, you know?”

“Sap”

“Oh, shut it”

Calum and Michael are sharing their last night together having a drink at their favorite bar. They are both on the terrace, leaning lazily against the railing and ignoring the music sounding in the background. In a few hours, Calum will be flying to LA and he is as scared as he is excited about it. He is going to study astronomy. People say that choosing a degree is one of the hardest decisions in a person’s life, but for him, it couldn’t have been easier. He knew what he wanted to study since that night at the camping with his parents, although he didn’t realize it until a few years later.

“It’s not like you’re going to disappear forever, right? You will come back and all… And of course we’ll keep in touch and you’ll keep me updated”, Michael tries to hide his fear with a smile.

He is going to study a video game design and management degree there, in Sydney.

“Of course! We’ll talk every day and you’ll keep me updated too, I want a selfie every time you change your hair color!”, Calum is telling the truth, he is not going to lose his best friend, no way.

Michael smiles and looks away before taking a sip of his coke, “Maybe next time you come home you bring a hot American guy with you”, the now-red-haired boy teases. 

Calum told Michael about his sexuality last year and it was a shock for the other boy. It all happened at a party, Calum was totally wasted and his secret slipped out when Michael was trying to take the drunken boy home. The next morning, he told his friend that it was okay, that he was cool with it, and that was it. It was easier that Calum had expected. But with Michael, everything was always easy.   

“For sure! I messed up with the girlfriend wish but I’m getting the boyfriend one right”, Calum jokes and Michael can feel the excitement on Calum’s voice. After all, this year is going to be a great adventure for both of them, but mostly for his friend.

They fall into silence as they watch the night sky.

As if summoned by their conversation, a streak of silver light crosses the sky in front of them.

The boys look at each other knowingly and smile.

Calum closes his eyes and wishes for a good first year at college.

 

**18 years**

It is an uncharacteristically cold night in LA. Well, not cold at all, chilly. Calum is sitting on the grass with his back pressed against a big rock and his eyes set on the stars above. It’s December already and he misses his home more than ever. He is stressed and sad, and whenever he feels like that, he goes to that same spot at the top of that hill, far away from the city lights. He stays there for an hour or sometimes even more, enjoying the view and clearing his mind. The silence and darkness helps him relax and that’s why he absolutely loves that place. He goes there even when he knows that the possibilities of seeing one of his beloved shooting stars are really low.

The classes are great, he enjoys every single one of them. He is learning a lot of interesting things and one of them is when is the best time to see a shooting star. Meteor showers occur over a range of dates because they stem from Earth’s own movement through space. So Calum is learning how to determine those dates, the time of the year for each meteor shower. Yep, astrophysics is his favorite subject of this semester.

Tonight is one of those nights. Mid-December this year means Geminid meteor shower. The Geminid meteor shower is one of the finest meteor showers visible in either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere. And Calum knows the date is right when a flash of golden light illuminates the dark night sky briefly before vanishing.

He sighs relieved, he really needs this wish.

He wishes to do well in his exams so he can go back home soon.

 

**19 years**

His wish is granted.

He nails almost all of his exams and spends Christmas at home with his family and with Michael.

The next time he sees a shooting star is in April.

That night, Calum is lying on his regular spot, thinking. This time, he is not thinking about the stars, the moon or the universe in general. He is thinking about someone.

Calum lives in a student’s residence on the main campus because his parents can’t afford renting a whole flat or apartment for him in LA. He is happy there, though. His roommate, Casey, is a great guy and they spend a lot of time together. He is always happy and makes a lot of jokes. He is studying physics and he helps Calum with tough subjects like maths and, obviously, physics, so Calum feels lucky in that aspect.

However, there is one thing that Calum despises about the residence; the food. He really hates the food there, so he tries to eat out during the week. There are a few cheap bars near the astronomy department’s building. This way he also avoids loosing time in going back to the residence and eating and he gains time to study, it’s a win-win situation. Breakfasts, on the other hand, are not that bad. I mean, you don’t have to be a great chef to cook scrambled eggs or toasts, but Calum rarely eats breakfast there anymore.

A few weeks ago, the kiwi boy was running late for his first class in the morning and decided to skip breakfast and buy something to eat on his way to class. He stopped at a cute little cafeteria near the campus to grab a coffee and that’s when he met him.

Luke.

Since then, all Calum can think of is blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

Now every single morning he wakes up earlier and walks to the cafeteria where the boy works. He orders a mocha cappuccino and he tells the blond to choose something to eat for him. That’s his lame excuse to talk a little bit longer to the boy, but it seems to be working. Luke chooses a different treat for Calum every day and the dark haired boy sits at a table near the window, observing the other boy’s movements for a while before reluctantly saying goodbye and heading to class. They never speak for long because the blond is working and Calum doesn’t want to make a fool of himself while trying to seduce him.

He wants to get Luke’s number but, at this pace, the only thing he is going to get is cavities.

That’s why when he sees a meteor falling from the sky that night, he wishes he had Luke’s number.

Calum feels like a schoolgirl after that wish, but he doesn’t really care.

 

**19 years**

It’s summer when Calum sees his next shooting star. The Delta Aquarid meteor shower that year is in late July and he takes Michael out to see it with him.

They are both in a place Calum discovered on Christmas. It is a small park, a few minutes away from the center of the city. The place is empty most of the time, probably because it’s a little bit creepy, at least at night. 5 out of the 7 lamp posts that should be illuminating the area are burned out, but that’s an advantage tonight, Calum thinks. It is easier to appreciate the beauty of the night sky in the dark.

Both boys are sitting on a bench, beer in hand, talking animatedly about their year.

“So there’s Casey the physicist, Alex the mathematician and Jack the chemist, right?”,

“Yep, Alex is Jack’s roommate and their room is opposite to ours, but we spend most of the time all together in our room”, Calum explains.

“Astronomy seems easy compared to any of their degrees”, Michael teases, smirking at the other boy who punches his arm playfully.

“Idiot”, Calum mutters smiling before taking a sip of his beer.

Neither of them says anything for a while.

Michael is the one who breaks the silence.

“And how’s your cute boyfriend doing?”, he says without moving his gaze from the sky. That question was meant to be playful but instead it comes out flat. Calum doesn’t notice it anyway.

Calum sighs and closes his eyes, “I don’t know. I was going to ask for his number but I chickened out at the last minute... Hope he is still working there when I go back, I kind of like him”

“I see…”

The sad tone in Michael’s voice makes Calum open his eyes and look at the other boy with a worried expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, uh, nothing! Nothing, just… I’m really glad that everything is going well for you”, the other boy smiles, trying to redirect the conversation back to Calum. But Calum can feel his friend’s discomfort.

“Thanks… are you still having trouble with that subject?”

Michael’s first year had been hard. Videogames sounds fun but some subjects are quite difficult. They have been talking about Calum’s great year all night and the raven haired boy suddenly feels bad.

“Yeah… the teacher’s a bitch. He hates me because my hair is cooler than his”, the blue haired boy says lightening the mood.

“I bet he does”, Calum rolls his eyes jokingly and Michael laughs. It’s a genuine laugh and Calum feels satisfied.

“You’ll do great the next year, I know”

“Yeah, thanks Cal-Pal”

And that time, Calum wishes that things get better for Michael.

 

**20 years**

When he goes back to LA in September the first thing he does is go to the cafeteria. He feels more relieved than he probably should when he sees the blond boy smiling at him from the other side of the counter.

“Long time no see”, Luke smiles widely and Calum feels hypnotized by his bright blue eyes.

“Missed me?”, Calum unconsciously says but immediately regrets those words when he sees the other boy’s eyes open wide. He feels stupid, maybe Luke doesn’t even like boys and Calum is trying to flirt with him.

After a few seconds, Luke reacts.

He simply smiles that smile that takes Calum’s breath away.

“So, mocha cappuccino and something of my choice?”, the blond says, still smiling.

Calum tries to hide his excitement when he realizes that Luke remembers his order and nods, returning the smile.

He stands there mesmerized by the other boy’s movements when a voice brings him back to reality.

“Do you study here?”, the blue eyed boy says casually while he prepares the coffee.

Great, this is Calum’s chance to shine.

“Yep”, he replies proudly, “I study astronomy”.

He doesn’t mean to brag, but he really want to impress Luke. And apparently, his plan turns out well.

“Oh, that’s cool. You must be a really smart guy”, Luke says, moving swiftly towards the counter where all the colorful pastries are carefully placed, and the dark haired boy feels his cheeks burn. He is glad that Luke is not looking at him right now.

“Nah, average”, Calum shrugs, “and what about you? I mean, do you study too?”

Luke is frowning, trying to decide between the endless variety of cupcakes in front of him, “Yeah, I actually work to pay for my studies. I study classics… I know, boring right?”, he says shyly as he picks up a cupcake and walks towards Calum.

“It sounds really interesting”, the other boy offers honestly. But let’s be real, Luke could do nothing at all and Calum would still find him fascinating.

Luke hands him his order, his cheeks slightly pink, and their fingers brush together when Calum takes his cup, making the kiwi boy feel butterflies in his stomach.

“By the way, I’m Luke”

Oh right, he knows his name because it’s written on his uniform but Calum never said his.

“I’m Calum”

“See you tomorrow then, Calum”

And with that, he thanks the other boy, pays and leaves the coffee shop with a grin plastered on his face.

When he looks at the cupcake in his hand his grin grows even bigger. It is a cute little cupcake with a baby blue butter cream frosting and a little pink star-shaped sugar cookie on top of it.

 

When February arrives, Calum is deliriously happy.

He is getting good grades, enjoying his college life and, most importantly, he is friends with Luke. They see each other every morning at the coffee shop, they text nonstop (Calum finally got his number) and Luke and his best friend, Ashton, hang out with Calum and his friends every weekend. 

He is happy but he can never get enough of Luke.  

So when he sees a shooting star one night, he can’t help but wish to be more than friends with him.

 

**20 years**

The night falls on LA and Calum and Luke are already tipsy, laughing loudly while lying on the hood of Luke’s car. Calum promised Luke a few months ago that he would go stargazing with him and tonight, April 23th, should be a good night. The Lyrid meteor shower, also known as April’s shooting stars, tends to last a few hours, so there they are, waiting. Well, waiting and drinking.

“You gotta be kidding!”, the blond says, laughing so much tears are streaming down his face.

“I swear it’s true! I don’t know what was Jack thinking but he almost killed us with his experiment, it literally exploded in his face! He was okay but the smell of rotten eggs spread throughout the whole building and we were evacuated”

“Oh, God”, the other boy says wiping the tears away and still chuckling, “that’s just too funny”

Calum can’t take his eyes off Luke. The other boy is certainly beautiful but there’s much more to him than just his looks. He is kind, sweet, sincere, humble… and the list goes on. Calum could talk about him all day and night and he feels he knows Luke better than he knows himself.

He knows that Luke is afraid of heights because as a child he got stuck on a Ferris wheel. He knows that he still loves watching cartoons. He knows that he loves reading and his favorite book ever is pride and prejudice, even thought he won’t admit it to anyone but Calum. He knows that his favorite subject is Greek mythology and he wants to be a teacher but he also would love to become a rock star and play around the world with his band.    

All those little things make Calum’s chest contract and heart thump faster whenever he sees the other boy. He wants to make him smile, laugh… he wants to be with him and make him happy.

“This is nice…”, Luke murmurs leaning back against the windshield.

Calum nods and smiles, closing his eyes.

“Do you think we’ll see a shooting star tonight?”, the blond asks curiously after a while.

Calum stops to think, “Yeah, I think so. The Lyrids shower produces about 10-20 meteors per hour at their peak”

“Woah, that’s quite impressive”, Luke says, although what he really finds impressive is how much Calum knows about stars.

Calum smiles softly, “Not at all, the Perseids meteor shower often produces 50 to 100 meteors per hour. It’s one of the biggest meteor showers of the year. But it’s only visible in the Northern Hemisphere so sadly I’ve never seen it”

Luke nods understanding the implications of living in Australia, when suddenly the sky brightens. A streak of light crosses the inky midnight sky briefly and then, it disappears like a snuffed candle, leaving the blue eyed boy gaping in awe.

“That was beautiful…”

Luke is mesmerized and Calum turns to look at him. It looks as if the universe itself is reflected in his bright blue eyes. All he can think about is shiny eyes, soft hair, delicate lips…

“Beautiful, indeed”, he whispers absentmindedly, looking fondly at the blond.

Luke seems to hear it and looks at Calum, his cheeks flushed.

No one speaks, they stare at each other almost afraid to breathe and break the spell of that magical moment.

But then Calum’s body seems to move on his own. He grabs Luke at the back of his head hesitantly and pulls him close, pressing their lips together. Suddenly, he realizes he is kissing Luke and a wave of fear washes through his body. However, the blond is warm and willing and butterflies begin to batter in the confines of his stomach as Luke rests his hands on his chest, reassuringly.

The kiss is gentle and slow and Calum wishes he could stop time.

A few more shooting stars fall from the sky that night, but Calum is not paying attention anymore. He doesn’t need another wish, he already has everything he wants.  

 

**20 years**

After that magical April night, Calum swears he has been living in a fairytale.

He and Luke are dating now and Calum couldn’t be happier. They are taking things slow but Luke is just plain perfect and things are going great between them.

When classes are almost over Luke invites Calum to stay at his house in LA for the summer. Calum is dying to go back home but the only thought of not seeing Luke for months is just unbearable, so he accepts. He tells his parents that he wants to spend the summer with his friends there because next year is his final year at university, and his parents let him stay there happily. Michael is not that happy, though. He misses Calum a lot but he knows he can’t do anything to make him go back. Calum promises to make it up to him on Christmas.

Calum and Luke go on a small road trip that summer. They consider stealing a cute penguin from the zoo in Santa Barbara, they take a lot of photos in front of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, they play blackjack in Las Vegas and they walk on the glass bridge over the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Calum feels wonderfully wild and wacky.

Luke prepares an awesome surprise for Calum on the last night of the trip. After having dinner, Luke covers Calum’s eyes with a piece of cloth and starts driving. When they stop, Luke slowly removes the cloth covering Calum’s eyes and the older boy’s breath hitches halfway down his throat.

Luke smiles tenderly when he notices his boyfriend’s reaction, “Grand Canyon is one of the best night sky observing sites in the United States because it has some of the darkest skies and cleanest air in the country, at least that’s what the guide says”

And the guide is damn right.

Calum is underneath one of the most beautiful starry skies he has ever seen. He can identify constellations, planets, star clusters, nebulae, double stars, and more with his naked eyes.

He turns to Luke with a wide grin crossing his face, “You’re the best”

“Tell me something I don’t know”, Luke jokes, feeling smugly proud.

Calum rolls his eyes before giving him a quick kiss and returning his gaze to the sky.

“And that’s not even the best part”, the blond says nonchalantly, catching Calum’s attention.

Calum gives him a questioning look, “What’s the best part?”, he asks innocently.

Luke bursts into a fit of laughter, “How can someone so smart be so dumb?”, his voice full of affection. “Come on, I’ll give you a hint. What day is today?”

Calum hesitates, “13th”

“Yeah…”, Luke encourages him to keep guessing.

“Friday?”

“Well, yeah…”, Luke is now wearing an amused expression and Calum feels stupid.

Suddenly, realization hits him hard.

“August”, he replies opening his eyes.

“August”, the blond repeats smiling.

“Oh my God, it’s August the 13th and we’re in America, which only means… the Perseids!”, the raven haired boy shouts crushing his boyfriend in a tight hug.

Both boys laugh uncontrollably as they hug.

“God, I love you so much”, the words roll out of Calum’s mouth effortlessly.

Luke’s face goes scarlet and he buries his head in Calum’s neck, whispering softly in his ear, “I love you, too”

That’s when Calum realizes it. This is the first time they actually said they loved each other.

And it was perfect.

They spend the rest of the night laughing and hugging and kissing and when meteors shoot across the sky, Calum wishes the same wish on every single one of them: be with Luke forever.

 

**21 years**

The next year passes too quickly.

Calum’s subjects are getting more and more difficult and he studies harder than ever in order to achieve good grades, as always. He doesn’t see Luke as much as the year before but they manage to always find time for one another. Michael goes to LA to visit Calum and they have a great time. Calum needs a break, and seeing that Michael is doing better cheers him up. He introduces him to Luke and they seem to get on well, just another reason to be happy. But by the time June arrives, Calum is exhausted.

It’s been a while since the last time he saw a shooting star. He has been really busy and he hasn’t been able to see any meteor shower. The few nights that he was at his usual spot just taking a break from studying, he didn’t see any shooting star, neither.

That night he is with Luke, both sprawled on the grass holding hands lazily.

“So, what are your plans for this summer?”, Calum asks.

This summer Calum is going back to Australia and he doesn’t know if he is prepared to spend that long without Luke. He won’t be able to hug him, to kiss him, to touch him… and the time zone is going to make their communication harder, too.

Australia, he had to live in fucking Australia…

“My plans…”, Luke parrots slowly, “apart of missing you, you mean?”, he smiles and Calum chuckles.

“Cheesy”, he says, but he finds him adorable.

Luke smiles sadly, “It’s true, though…”

Calum regrets bringing up such a delicate topic and tries to fix it, “Hey, next summer you should come to Australia” 

Luke’s face brightens, “Really?”

“Of course, as long as you want to”

Luke looks better now, “Sure thing”

 

An hour and a half later, Calum sees a faint timid shooting star dancing in the sky and he wishes for Luke to be with him next summer.

Luckily, his wish comes true.

 

**22 years**

Calum is frightened.

The year is coming to an end and he doesn’t know if he will be able to keep doing this. He’s been without Luke for 4 months and a half and he has never felt this lost in his whole life.

He graduated a few months ago and his family travelled to LA to see him. He told them about Luke and they were really supportive about it all, in fact, it was his mother’s idea to invite Luke over for the summer, which only made Calum feel overjoyed. Luke obviously accepted and, in that moment, everything felt okay.

He has always felt incomplete wherever he was. If he was in LA he had Luke, but he missed his family and Michael a lot. But if he was at home, it didn’t even feel like home because Luke wasn’t there with him. So that summer, Calum had everything he wanted, literally, and he savored every damn second of it.

That’s why after months of missing Luke with all his heart he is starting to lose faith. He can’t go to LA because he doesn’t have money. He is desperately searching for a job either in LA or Australia, without any luck yet. Luke is in the same situation. Both unable to do anything abouit it. And it is so frustating.  

When he sees a shooting star on a lonely December night, he wishes with all his heart that everything work out for them.

However, it seems that not everything you wish for comes true.

 

**23 years**

Ironically enough, the next time Calum sees a shooting star in on April. 3 years ago he was sharing his first kiss with Luke during the Lyrids meteor shower and that night he is trying to get over the fact that they are no longer together.

They broke up a few weeks ago and he is still completely broken. What happened to them? Where did he go wrong? How did he let that happen? He is unable to understand it. They were perfect for each other yet they both agreed that the best for them was to break up. Now Calum is left with regret and a sick feeling in his stomach that reminds him that it’s already too late.  

Calum spends too much time inside his head replaying all those sweet moments and conversations, he thought they had a bulletproof bond. But now he is all alone and feels miserable.

Michael holds his hand interrupting his thoughts.

“You okay there, buddy?”, concern dancing in his green eyes.

“Uh, yeah, yeah. Sorry”, he replies scratching the back of his neck with his free hand and trying to smile, but failing miserably.

“You were thinking about him, right?”, the purple haired boy frowns.

Calum lowers his head and sighs, giving up. He doesn’t reply but even that’s enough for Michael to understand.

Michael doesn’t say anything at all, instead, he pulls his friend into a hug and Calum loses it. Hot tears start streaming down his face and he starts shaking uncontrollably as he cries his eyes out. The other boy tightens his arms around his friend and runs a hand through his hair gently.

“Shh, stop crying… it breaks my heart to see you like this”, he whispers softly to the crying mess in his arms.

Michael holds Calum until he has no tears left to spare. Several minutes later, his eyes are red and swollen from all the crying but he still catches one shiny little star falling from the sky.

He wishes for the only thing he desperately needs right now.

He wishes for Luke to love him again.

 

**25 years**

It’s been two years since the last time he saw a shooting star. It isn’t a matter of luck, no. it’s just that Calum doesn’t go stargazing anymore because it’s too painful. Everything up there reminds him of Luke, of the moments spent together and of their break up…

Calum is doing fairly better now, though. He is working at a fancy restaurant in the city. Is not what he wants to do for the rest of his life but it helps him pay for the rent of his new apartment. He moved out of his parents’ house 5 months ago and he is quite happy with his new independent life.

Also, he is dating Michael. His friend confessed his feelings towards him a few months ago and Calum didn’t know how to react. He never thought that he could forget Luke but when the green eyed boy kissed him, Calum kissed back. At first, he didn’t want to date him because he felt bad for him, he felt like he was using him to get over Luke. He didn’t even know if he could love again. But slowly he started feeling more and more comfortable with his friend, until he gave up and allowed himself to feel something.

His wish is simple the next time.

He wants happiness.

 

**26 years**

Calum feels completely paralyzed, unable to move, to think, to speak.

If his heart rate gets any faster he’ll go into cardiac arrest.

Blonde hair, baby blue eyes, ridiculous tall frame, black ripped jeans…

Luke is right in front of him.

“Hi”, the blond seems as bewildered as Calum is.

Calum feels his mouth go dry but he manages a small “Hi”

It’s been almost four years since he last saw him and he looks almost the same as he did back then. Calum can see the Luke he fell in love with and everything is coming back to him as he awkwardly stands there, in the middle of the shop. What is he doing there? Why is he in Australia? Is he doing well? He wants to ask so many things but the lump in his throat doesn’t allow him to speak.

“So… how are you doing?”, Luke shifts uncomfortably but before Calum can answer he hears a low voice speak.

“Is everything okay here?”

Michael is standing right beside him, with his hand protectively around his waist and his eyes glued to the other boy.

Luke’s gaze hardens as he follows Michael’s hand. He looks at Calum with and unreadable expression on his face and then he meets the other boy’s gaze.

“Yes, just saying hello”, he shrugs, his voice so cold it sends a shiver down Calum’s spine.

“Good”, Michael raises his eyebrow as a less-than-subtle cue for Luke to leave.

Luke is eyeing him harshly but, in the end, he gives up and leaves without looking back at Calum, who can’t believe what happened.  

      

Calum spends the next few nights getting wasted, alone, under the midnight sky. He has a big argument with Michael about Luke when they get home the day they meet again. In the middle of the heated argument, Calum accuses Michael of having acted like a total jerk and Michael accuses Calum of still loving Luke, which makes the boy go silent, not knowing what to say. God, he doesn’t even know how he feels. In that moment, Michael calls it off between them and leaves.  

The raven haired boy isn’t sure if what he sees one of those nights is a shooting star or just a product of his imagination due to the large amount of alcohol running through his veins, but he makes a wish anyway.

He doesn’t want Luke, he doesn’t want Michael, he doesn’t want anyone.

He just wants his broken heart to be mended.  

**26 years**

Calum gets his best friend back after a few days of silent treatment. They talk again and they both apologize. After all, Michael always knew Calum could never get over Luke completely. At first, it’s a little bit awkward but now, 3 months later, they are themselves again and Calum is really grateful for having such an amazing person in his life.

Things are getting better again, or at least that’s what Calum wants to think. He is friends with Michael again and he got a job at the Sydney Observatory. There, he organizes night visits and he is allowed to use the telescopes, he is basically living his dream.

One night, he is at a bar with Michael and some friends from work when it happens again. He is alone ordering a drink before going back to the table with his friends when he feels a warm hand on his shoulder. When he turns around, his heart stops momentarily.

“Hello again”, blue eyes are fixed on him, weighing his reaction.

This time, Calum pulls himself together quickly, “Hey”

“So, how much time do we have before your bodyguard comes and kicks me out again?”, the blond says bitterly.

Calum doesn’t like that tone, “Don’t talk like that about Michael, he was just trying to help”, he retorts and Luke barks out a laugh which makes Calum’s throat tighten. 

“To help? Really? I don’t bite, you know”

Calum frowns, “I know, just drop it”, his voice wearily. He is starting to feel unconformable, Luke seems a little bit drunk and he doesn’t want to keep talking like this.

But Luke has other plans, “If you know, why didn’t you stop him?”

“I said drop it”, Calum is pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You didn’t want to talk to me? You didn’t want to see me? After that long?”, the blond pushes harshly.

“Luke, enough”, Calum snaps, his voice dead serious, and Luke winces.

After a few seconds, the blond reacts, “I guess you didn’t, you already have your new pretty boyfriend and don’t need anyone else, don’t you?”, he looks defeated but sounds quite aggressive and Calum is not having it.

He knows that if he stays they will end up arguing and probably talking about things Calum has tried so hard to forget, and he is not prepared for that. So he leaves.

 

He doesn’t sleep much that night and when he wakes up he feels physically and emotionally drained. The rest of the day passes by and their conversation keeps replaying in his head. He knows that he is not going to forget it easily. He needs some sort of closure to move on.

That night, he writes a text message and presses send without re-reading it to avoid second guessing himself. He is probably going to regret it later anyway.

The text is simple: This is Calum, I think we need to talk.

The response comes shortly after and is also simple: Tell me when and where.

Calum types his address and less than an hour later Luke is in his kitchen, looking fairly hungover.

Calum is the first to speak.

“Why did you say all of that yesterday?”

Stupid question. Calum mentally slaps himself, but he is so nervous, the air is heavy between them and he doesn’t know how to handle the situation.

Luke raises an eyebrow in confusion and then shrugs, “I was drunk”

“And you decided to blame Michael for what happened the other day?”

Another stupid question. Calum is digging his own grave, he is basically directing the conversation to a topic he really doesn’t want to talk about.

Luke gives him an amused look, “I was drunk”, he repeats.

“Drunk or jealous?” 

And if there was a prize for the stupidest question in the history of stupid questions, Calum would completely thrash his adversaries with that one.

Luke’s face changes drastically.

He frowns as he replies, “Do you think you are in position to ask that question?”

Calum crosses his arms in front of his chest, defensively. This time, he is thinking thoroughly what to say before actually saying it when Luke interferes again.

“You didn’t waste much time finding a replacement, how am I suppose to feel?”, the blond argues raising his voice and taking a step forward.

Calum feels his blood boil when he hears those words, “Excuse me? You were the one who broke up with me!”

Luke frowns, anger rising in him, “What?! No fucking way, Calum. Don’t you dare. It was a mutual decision so don’t you fucking blame it on me! It’s not like you cared that much anyway!”

“Fuck off, Luke! What did you want me to do? Wait for you forever? And I got with Michael 3 fucking years after we broke up!”

Luke shakes his head and frowns even more, “I don’t care, I don’t want to know. You gave up on us and-“

“What the fuck?! I never gave up-“

“Yes you did! Micha-“

“No, I never did, stop bringing him up, this is between you and me!”

Calum is on the verge of exasperation. They are both shouting and he is starting to feel sick.

“Your boyfriend is quite relevant here, don’t you think?!”, Luke sneers.

“He is not my boyfriend anymore, I broke up with him because of you, you fucking idiot!”, Calum yells and the room falls into silence.    

Calum is breathing heavily, his chest raising and falling rapidly while Luke stands in front of him, frozen like a deer in highlights. 

“Fuck”

That’s all Luke manages to say before Calum lunges forward crashing their mouths together. The kiss is hungry and desperate, relieving the pent up tension accumulated during all those years. Calum pushes Luke against the kitchen counter pressing their bodies impossibly close and the blond holds onto his hair with his fists, kissing back fiercely. The kiss deepens, growing hotter and more intense, until they break apart, gasping for air. Calum starts to kiss and bit Luke’s neck passionately and he hears him mumble breathlessly I’m sorrys and I love yous.

They spend the night together, clothes scattered around the bed where they fall asleep to each other’s heart beat, like they used to do back then.

When Calum sees a shooting star during a night visit at work the next night, he closes his eyes and makes a wish before turning back to explain how a meteoroid enters the atmosphere to become visible as a meteor to the awed crowd.

He wishes for them to get it right this time.

 

**28 years**

“Guys”, Luke says amusedly.

“Guys”, Calum repeats clearing his throat.

“Guys!”, both shout before bursting into a hearty laughter.

Ashton and Michael look up from where they are lying, legs tangled, hair tousled and lips slightly red.

“Jesus, you’re grown up men, stop acting like schoolgirls!”, Luke chuckles.

“Yeah, besides, if you don’t pay attention you’ll miss it”, Calum lectures.

The four of them are together waiting for the Lyrid meteor shower to “start”. Luke and Calum are together again, after that passionate night two years ago they talked and agreed on trying one more time. They decided to take things slow but they easily fell into the loving relationship the shared years before. Calum keeps working at the observatory and Luke is a teacher at a private school in the city, which is why he went to Australia in the first place. Even though he can’t deny that seeing Calum again wasn’t one of his hidden intentions when he accepted the job. 

As for Ashton and Michael, they are also dating. Actually, they are in that initial phase of every relationship where they can’t take their hands off each other, despite being a bit old for that. Ashton visited Luke last year and never left after drunk-kissing Michael one crazy night. They call it love at first kiss.   

The thing is that Calum can’t be happier, he has everything again: his family, his friends and Luke. What more can he ask for?

So when he sees the sky lighting up in a too familiar way, he wishes for more moments like this to come.

 

**30 years**

The beach is silent that night as Calum and Luke stroll along the shore, feeling the soft sand beneath their feet. The rhythmic pounding of the waves take all the worries away and Calum feels warm inside. He squeezes his lover’s hand gently to catch his attention. The boy turns to look at Calum, who only smiles fondly.

This is perfect.

These last few years have been perfect.

 “I love you so much”, he says contently.

Luke chuckles, “I love you more”

“When did we become such saps?”, Calum wonders out loud and feels Luke smiling at him.

After a while, Calum takes a deep breath and stops walking, still holding Luke’s hand. The blue eyed man turns to look at him with a puzzled look.

Calum gives him a reassuring smile and Luke seems to relax.

Then, Calum gets down on one knee and Luke’s heart stops. His eyes are open so wide that Calum can appreciate the different shades of blue in them, even in the darkness of that moonless night.

Calum is fidgeting with a little velvet box in his hands when he looks up to Luke with a determined expression on his face.

“Luke, will you marry me?”, he says trying to keep his voice steady.

In that moment, as if Gods are sending him their divine help, a flicker of light flies across the sky reflecting in the golden ring that Calum is holding.

Luke is speechless and completely frozen in front of him and Calum starts to think that maybe this was not a good idea.

He wishes that Luke says yes.

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he pulls Calum down, crushing him in a strong hug. Both fall to the sand, Luke on top of Calum, burying his head in the other man’s neck. Calum starts caressing his lover’s back softly.

“Is that a yes?”, he still asks, smiling a bit.

“Of fucking course”, the blond mumbles into his hair.

Calum’s smile grows until it is undeniably a grin and he grabs Luke’s face, pulling him into a sweet kiss.

 

**32 years**

The wedding was the best day of Calum’s life.

Luke was absolutely stunning in his black tuxedo. He looked as if he’d stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. To add it all, the blond melted Calum’s heart with his vows, the perfect mix of cheesiness and romanticism with a pinch of humor that made the raven haired man weak at the knees. All their family and friends were there having the time of their lives and Calum felt blessed. Not to mention the wedding night. Wow, just wow.

In conclusion, Calum was delighted and several months later, still is.

Now, he has yet another reason to be. He has a loving family, amazing friends, his dream job, the perfect husband and, in a few months, he will have a baby. More specifically, a son.

Around the March equinox Calum and Luke spend a lot of nights at the observatory, after spending their afternoons making sure that their lovely surrogate is doing fine.

“Fireball season?”, Luke says slowly, raising an eyebrow.

Calum is looking through the telescope as he says nonchalantly, “Yes, a fireball is just an especially bright meteor. It’s fireball season, a time of year when bright meteors appear in greater numbers than usual. In fact, in the weeks around the equinox, the appearance rate of fireballs can increase by as much as 30 percent”

“Wow, ok, Mr. Smarty pants”, the blond teases, throwing his hands up jokingly.

Calum laughs and punches him softly in his shoulder.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about the baby’s name…”, Luke says shyly.

Calum looks up from the telescope, “Any ideas?”

“Actually, yes”

“Go on”

The blond hesitates, “I mean, maybe you think is stupid or you don’t like it“

“Luke… It’s okay, say it already”, Calum smiles reassuringly at his husband.

Luke swallows and mumbles, “Percy”

“Percy?”, Calum repeats to make sure that he heard right.

“You don’t like it, do you?”, Luke says quickly, looking a little bit disappointed, but Calum is lost in his thoughts. He feels something is escaping him. That name rings a bell to him but he doesn’t know why.

After a few seconds, he opens his eyes in realization.

“Wait, Percy… it sounds like-”

“Perseus”, Luke cuts him off, “In Greek mythology, Perseus is the hero who beheaded the Gorgon Medusa and saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus… But, it’s also a-”

“Constellation”, Calum whispers to himself, “The one that hosts the radiant of the Perseids meteor shower…”

Luke looks at Calum’s face, nervousness getting stronger again, and tries to explain, “I know the Perseids are your favorite meteor shower and it‘s special for us too, you know?”

After what feels like an eternity to Luke, Calum speaks.

“It’s perfect, I love it”, he says smiling genuinely.

Luke lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding when he hears Calum’s verdict.

“Really?”

“Yes! Percy… He is going to be a great astronomer, like his father”, Calum jokes, although he would love it.

Luke laughs and follows, “Excuse me? He is going to be a brilliant classicist, just like me”

They both spend the next hour imagining his future son’s life.

When, finally, a fireball crosses the night sky, Calum wishes for good health for his baby. That is the most important thing, as for the rest, time will tell.

 

**40 years**

The next few years after Percy’s birth are crazily hectic. Calum never thought that becoming a parent would be that stressful yet so rewarding and fulfilling. His and Luke’s life change in a wonderful and unexpected way.

When the baby arrives they barely get sleep at nights, or during the day. Only when Percy is napping they get to relax. After naps, there’s feeding, changing, and a whole lot of holding and cooing going on. But little Percy with his big blue eyes and golden hair is the cutest thing neither Calum nor Luke have ever seen.

Then, school starts. It’s so hard at first, saying goodbye to his little one after years spending every single minute of the day with him. But he is learning a lot of new things and seems really happy with it. Also, seeing him interact with his new friends is the funniest thing ever.

Years pass by so fast and his baby is not a baby anymore. Percy is 8 years old when he sees his first shooting star. One day, Calum decides to go stargazing with Luke and Percy because he feels that it’s time to show his son the wonders of the universe.

The three of them are lying on the grass, underneath the night sky. Luke and Calum are lazily holding hands with Percy resting between them.

“This is so boring”, the kid says yawning and Luke chuckles looking at Calum teasingly.

“Hey it’s not! You won’t say the same when you see what I want you to see”, Calum argues.

Percy props himself in one elbow and looks at his father, “Are you sure that tonight we’ll get to see it?”, voice laced with incredulity.

“Of course, your father never fails, Percy”, Luke says and Calum smiles squeezing his hand gently before leaning in and giving him a small peck on the lips.

“Ew, stop doing that!”, the boy demands scrunching his nose.

His parents laugh and pull him into a tight hug. The boy starts laughing loudly before melting into the embrace and the three of them end up lying there, legs tangled and arms intertwined, when the long-awaited meteor appears above them. The light is shimmering and it leaves a long hazy trail behind it.

“There it is, I told you!” Calum shouts, childishly.

“Now make a wish, but don’t say it out loud, Percy”, Luke explains excitedly.

Percy looks to his right and then to his left and he sees Luke and Calum with closed eyes and a peaceful expression on their faces. He can’t help but smile, he loves his family so much. He then mimics his parents’ expression and, while feeling the warmth of their embrace, he makes his first wish ever.

Calum feels his son relax by his side and his husband’s fingers rub circles gently on his hand and he wishes for his family to be this happy, always.        

 

**47 years**

“15 years already”

“Yeah, sounds crazy...”, Luke whispers dreamily, “15 years already”

Calum takes his husband’s hand, “Correction: 15 fucking perfect years and still counting”, he doesn’t miss the smile creeping across Luke’s face, his own also lighting up his face.

Calum and Luke are celebrating their 15th wedding anniversary in LA. They both agreed that they had to do something special this time since they had been keeping it really simple for the rest of anniversaries. Luke wanted to see his family because he doesn’t get to see them that much now that he lives in Australia and Calum wanted to go to the Grand Canyon again. It’s one of his favorite places ever and it holds some special memories for him, for both of them actually. So they asked Michael and Ashton to take care of Percy for a few days and took their flight the first week of August. 

That night, they’re once again lying underneath a jet-black night sky sprinkled with millions of glittering stars.

“Remember the last time we were here?”, Luke says wistfully.

“Of course, how could I forget it?”, Calum admits, pressing his body against the blond’s side and kissing the top of his head affectionately. Luke melts into the embrace and turns to face his husband.

“I wish we could go back in time… now we are getting older and all of that”, he smiles sadly caressing tenderly the tiny wrinkles around his lover’s chocolate brown eyes and earning a soft laugh in return.

“Maybe you’re getting older but I feel younger than ever. Oh, and I’m even hotter than I was back then”, Calum grins mischievously trying to cheer him up and Luke can’t hide his smile as he rolls his eyes in a exaggerated way that makes the other man laugh harder.

Before Luke can say anything else, Calum captures his lips in a searing kiss. The kiss is so deep and overwhelming it bleaches Luke’s mind thoroughly, erasing all of his fears about getting older instantly.

“I love you”, Calum breathes out softly before leaning in a kissing him again.

“I love you too”, Luke replies when Calum pulls away slightly to kiss his temple. 

Calum’s lips are still hovering Luke’s temple and his eyes are closed as he runs his fingers through the blonde soft hair

“Forever”

“Forever?”, Luke smiles into his husband’s chest.

Calum presses a lingering kiss into his hairline and Luke closes his eyes, drowning in the raven haired man’s scent.

“Forever”

 

Calum is sure that Luke is asleep in his arms by the time the first shooting star strolls through the inky darkness of the summer night. Once again, and even though he is 47 years old, Calum is unable to resist the temptation and closes his eyes as he always do when he makes a wish. For the first time in his life, he doesn’t know straight away what to wish for because he already has everything he needs. But the comforting feeling of Luke’s warm body shifting sleepily in his arms gives him a slight idea of what he wants right now.

He wishes to stay with Luke forever.

But forever comes sooner than he expects….

 

**64 years**

When Calum sees a shooting star again, Luke has been gone for 17 years.

It’s been 17 long and hard years since that tragic night. The night when a drunk man took away his husband’s life after crashing his car against Luke’s.

At first, Calum was an absolute mess, he didn’t even try to move on with his life. Anything mattered to him anymore and he lost his will to keep living without Luke there to do it with him. Ashton and Michael did everything they could to help his friend, but nothing worked. Calum felt utterly depressed and he couldn’t even imagine spending the rest of his life that way.

As years passed, he decided to make an effort. Time didn’t make his loss more bearable, but he realized he had to at least try to move on, not for himself, but for Percy and his friends and family. They didn’t deserve the hell he put them through. They were seriously concerned about him and they checked up on him every day to make sure that he was doing okay. So he kept living his miserable life concealing his pain and faking smiles.

In the end, he succeeded in lying to everyone. They finally thought he was alright again. They ignored how much he missed Luke… How much he missed running his fingers through his blonde hair, how much he missed kissing his soft lips, how much he missed looking into those cerulean blue eyes, how much he missed that warm smile...  He succeeded in lying to everyone, except himself.

He hadn’t been able to look at the night sky without bursting into tears since that last time with him. But tonight he wants to. He wants to feel the sadness washing over him and the salty tears streaming down his face, because at the end of the day, pain is the only thing that makes him feel closer to Luke. Pain makes him travel back in time to that night. It makes him feel how Luke kissed him good bye before going away to never come back.

And that’s the reason why Calum is in what used to be their special spot again, after almost two decades, crying his eyes out for the love of his live. He had long forgotten how his once beloved stars looked like and when he sees one of them ripping the midnight sky, he feels overwhelmed.

His swollen eyes hurt but he closes them firmly anyway, he takes a deep breath which makes his chest wince, and makes a wish. Rather than a wish, he makes a prayer.

Please, please, please, bring Luke back to me.  

But that’s just not how things work.

 

**68 years**

As expected, his wish doesn’t come true.

It doesn’t affect him anymore, though. He resigned himself to the fact that Luke would never come back a long time ago. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt, though. Because it does, it hurts like hell. And the worst part is that there is no pill or treatment to get rid of that pain. That pain will never go away.

Calum spends the next 4 years the same way he spent the last few decades. He wakes up in his empty king sized bed, sometimes early because of some horrible repetitive nightmares related to Luke and other times late in the morning feeling tired and unable to make it through another long day, and waits for Michael and Ashton to drop by. After all this time, they still visit him every single day and, to be honest, Calum appreciates it because at that point of his life, they and Percy are the only ones who can steal a small smile from his lips.

After lunch, he gets dressed and goes to visit Luke’s grave, sometimes he even buys some flowers. He likes to buy blue daisies because those remind him to Luke’s cerulean blue eyes. He also goes to spend some time with Percy, his wife Helen, and his granddaughter, Lily. If only Luke could be there to see how beautiful their little granddaughter is… However, there are some days that he just crashes on the coach after his friends leave and watches TV until it gets dark.

His days are monotonous and boring, but Calum doesn’t care.

He’s helpless.

Hopeless.

And maybe that’s why the next time he sees a flare in the night sky, he laughs bitterly.

But even though he knows that his wish won’t be granted, he stubbornly wishes for Luke to come back.

**68 years**

This is not the usual place. He knows it, but it’s clear and dark, away from all the city lights, so he should be okay. His eyes rise to the sky. The faint lingering lilac sky fades into the shadow and the once salmon and purple sky transforms into a vast expanse of jet-black. Shimmering sparkles brilliantly appear into the darkness to illuminate the moonless night.

As always, breathtakingly beautiful.

He stands there waiting for it to happen. He has done it so many times already, but this one feels special and he can’t help but notice the knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

They said tonight is the South Taurids’ expected peak night. The Taurids are well known for having a high percentage of fireballs. Plus, these fast-moving meteors occasionally leave persistent trains. In conclusion, he had to be there to see it. In fact, it was written all over the papers this morning because it seems that tonight’s meteor shower will be one of the finest in many years.

As he waits, his mind drifts to the past few days. His face falls and a huge wave of sadness washes over him. He is lost in his thoughts when it finally happens.

Two unbelievable bright flashes of light streak across the Sydney’s night sky, really close to each other. One is big, golden and bright while the other is silvery and shimmers constantly as it crosses the sky, both fading away a few seconds later.

Percy smiles, tears streaming down his face and breath hitching as he murmurs a sad but soft “you made it”.

Taking one last look at the two white stones adorned with colorful flowers in front of him, he closes his eyes as he has been taught and makes a wish.

He wishes for the same thing he wished for the first time he saw a shooting star.

He wishes for Luke to never leave Calum’s side.

And, this time, his wish is granted.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hi lovelies!
> 
> It's been so long and I'm so sorry! First of all and as always, I want to apologize for my terrible terrible grammar and writing in general. English is not my first language and autocorrect kept messing with this... Also I want to say that I'm not an astronomist so some things might be wrong. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this inmense piece of... writing and tell me what you think, pretty please! I love reading your opinions and I really want to know what you think about this one!
> 
> Lots of love! <3


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